The first set of soldering for the first ring.

 I guess the project I've been working on the most recently is my miniature ferris wheel.  A few weeks ago, I had posted that I had the rungs soldered to the rings. After discussion with my instructor, I snapped off the rungs and decided to start over.

At my instructors suggestion, I used a needle file to file grooves into the copper rings. I then filed down the ends of the brass welding rod rungs so that they would fit into the grooves.

Detail of the grooves filed into the rings

 I was really nervous when working with the second rung, hoping that it would work the way that I wanted and planned for it to work. Fortunately, it did. I had numbered off the different rungs so that I would be able to match them up when I was attaching the two rings together.

Side view. I numbered the grooves so that I could match the rings up.

Getting ready to solder the second ring on.

It worked!

After I soldered the rings together, my next project was to solder on the rotation spokes so that the wheel would be able to turn. It was kind of a difficult piece to work with, but with patience and perseverance, I got the spokes soldered on so that there was a good connection made.

Beginning to solder on the spokes so the wheel can rotate.

Mostly after an acid bath. The one side is really dirty though.

Rotation rung

Side view of rotation rung

Both rungs soldered on

After soldering the rotation spokes on, I was determined to work with the stand and complete it as fast as possible. I had the design all figured out, but it didn't quite work out as I had hoped. I had filed the edges of the braces holding up the ferris wheel so that they were curved a bit and fit around the hollow tubing that I had.

But I went too fast and the proper connections were not made when I soldered the pieces together. So after consideration, I snapped off the braces and started over again. Fortunately, the second time that I worked on the braces, they turned out more so the way that I wanted them to turn out.

Cleaned up Ferris wheel

 It took a lot of polishing and sanding to clean up the ferris wheel, but I finally did it.

So shiny

Sitting in the bowl of liver of sulfur and ammonia.

Top view of the Ferris wheel.

 After I cleaned up the ferris wheel, my instructor and I decided to dip the piece in a mixture of liver of sulfur and ammonia, to turn the copper black and darken the brass.

After I rotated the Ferris wheel in the mixture.
I would let it sit for a while and then rotate it to a new side.

Ferris wheel after liver of sulfur and ammonia bath.
I think that the darkened metal really helps.

 I was and still very proud of how this piece has turned out and I hope that when I put the carts on, it will look just as good as I am hoping it will.

Top view of darkened Ferris wheel.